De (on)gelukkige relatie tussen Covid-19 en werkgeluk

Abstract

SUMMARY In March 2020 a lockdown was announced due to the Covid-19 outbreak. As a result, most employees were asked to work from home. Shortly after the lockdown, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 314 workers. This questionnaire was about happiness at work experienced before the outbreak of Covid-19 and during the (full or partial) lockdown. This provided information about the influence of Covid-19 and the associated working from home on employee happiness at work. This study examines the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and a number of other factors on people’s happiness at work. In short, it can be stated that people in the Netherlands rate their happiness at work as more than satisfactory. In the period of Covid-19, however, the average happiness at work rate decreased. Both personal and work-related factors influence happiness at work. Respondents’ mental health is a major predictor of happiness at work. Work-related factors that influence happiness at work are: autonomy, competence, relatedness and social support from the supervisor. Also, social environment influences happiness at work during the Covid-19 crisis. Employees without a partner appeared to be most vulnerable. This has implications for managers and Human Resource Managers within organizations in order to effectively facilitate these groups of employees.